Monday, April 29, 2013

A stirring front cover from the 1929 Schneider Trophy Contest souvenir programme that was produced by Gale &Polden (a major publisher of thing military in Aldershot) on behalf of the organisers the Royal Aero Club. The competition to take the coverted trophy took place over a course across the Solent on England's south coast as illustrated here. It really captures the feeling of excitement that flight had in peoples imaginations at the time - fast, sleek seaplanes speeding through the skies!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

6.9-ton Škoda-Fiat Torino, built on the Fiat 18BL truck chassis and armed by a pair of 7.92mm machine guns, was the first armored vehicle designed and produced in independent Czechoslovakia. 11 vehicles were issued to the Army in 1920.

Due to numerous mechanical failures, they service life was relatively short - most were retired by 1925, the last were scrapped in 1929.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

In 1927 Philip Van Horn Weems, a U.S. Navy officer, devised a watch with a settable second hand that could be
easily corrected to the second using radio time signals. That made it
more useful for air navigation than even precision maritime chronometers
and was the beginning of the aviator's "hack" watch. Longines produced a number of 'Weems Watch' variantions in 1920s-1940s (plus later limited editions, incl. present-day Heritage series).

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Surcouf, a 4304-ton French submarine cruiser,has already been featured here. Just one photo to remind you about her firepower: she was armed with an impressive pair of 203mm (8in) guns, capable (theoretically) to fire 120kg shells at a distance up to 27,500m (14.84 nautical miles).

Thursday, April 18, 2013

It was an amphibian with a retractable wheeled undercarriage, and the floats, mounted near the wingtips on struts, were load-carrying. Powerplants were four Gnome- Rhone 14Krsds, which gave 810hp each, and were conventionally mounted in the wing leading edges. The wings' shape resulted in the ANT-44, as the project was designated, being called the Chaika (Seagull).

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

This photo comes from a 1947 issue of LIFE Magazine, and the caption explains that Churchill's doctors recommended that he never fly above 8,000 feet. That prohibition wasn't possible, since Churchill often needed to take off for Washington, Moscow, Yalta, or Casablanca on a moment's notice. Fortunately, though, Churchill had a special plane assigned for his transport, so a pressure chamber could be built right into the plane.

The chamber kept the pressure inside the pod at the equivalent of 5,000 feet, while still allowing Churchill to enjoy his favorite vice: a good cigar. The air circulation system was built with the globetrotting smoker in mind.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Now when the initial hype is over, I'm breaking my silence to join the choir of those who promote and recommend this remarkable selection:

Four stories

by Grant Gardiner, John Picha, Bard Constantine, and Jack Philpott

A.E. Ducheau, on Smashwords:
"From the first trench coat pocket packed with dynamite, to the last draw off a spent gasper, this ePulp collection cuts a wide, interesting swath across the Dieselpunk genre:

'That Sort of World' wanders the dirty back alleys of prohibition Chicago like a Tarantino nod to the Mobster genre, while 'Pandora Driver' cracks heads as a gas-powered, Frank Miller-penned, New Deal avenging angel. 'The Wise Man Says' channels Raymond Chandler through a high-tech, heist filter, as 'A Friend of Spirits' falls like a sunset over Hemingway's pre-Castro Cuba.

This ePulp Showcase goes a long way to demonstrating the solid thematic foundations of the dieselpunk genre and raises the bar for the sub-sub-genre at least a few notches closer to the mainstream. "

Monday, April 8, 2013

England's biggest demonstration of its readiness to go through a gas attack was staged, March 16, 1938, when 2,000 volunteers in Birmingham donned gas masks and went through an elaborate drill. These three firemen were fully equipped, from rubber boots to masks, for the mock gas "invasion". (AP Photo)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

This hydroplane is part of the R.A.F. rescue service in the Middle East. It operates on the lakes of the Nile Delta for the assistance of pilots who may make forced landings in the water. Consisting of a cabin mounted on seaplane floats it is driven by an aircraft engine and propeller mounted in the stern and steered by an aircraft rudder. There are also rudders on each of the floats. The top speed of the craft is about fifteen knots. Photo taken on March 11, 1942.

Monday, April 1, 2013

In 1942, a T-60 light tank was converted into a glider intended to be towed by a Pe-8 or TB-3 heavy bomber/transport. The tank was lightened for air use by removing armament, ammunition and headlights, and leaving a very limited amount of fuel. It was fitted with biplane wings and twin-boom tail, designed by Oleg Antonov.

A TB-3 bomber had to ditch the glider during its only flight, on September 2, 1942, to avoid crashing, due to the T-60's extreme drag (although the tank reportedly glided smoothly). The A-40 was piloted by the famous Soviet experimental glider pilot Sergei Anokhin. The T-60 landed on a field near the airdrome, and after dropping the glider wings and tail, the driver returned it to its base. Due to the lack of sufficiently-powerful aircraft to tow it at the required 160 km/h (99 mph), the project was abandoned.